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The full Moon in Leo comes to us in the midst of Aquarius season. While Aquarius teaches us to shift the collective consciousness by being ourselves, Leo helps us decide what that means.

Leo represents our center. Ruled by the Sun, this sign reminds us of what holds us together. It helps us feel our truth, and more importantly, it helps us feel our hearts. The regal lion of the zodiac, Leo embodies the energies of leadership, compassion, vulnerability, strength, and love.

With Leo’s energy governing the full Moon, we are encouraged to focus on the heart’s truth. Acknowledging this takes courage and vulnerability. It’s not always easy to listen to and follow our hearts. Our mind often has different plans and will try to convince us these plans are safer. The mind would like to trick us into thinking it is in control, but the heart is the one that leads us forward. The heart knows the direction we must travel to align with life’s purpose, and the heart knows how to tap into the infinite wisdom of the Universe. The mind is simply along for the ride.

This Moon can help your break through all the layers placed upon you that dim your light. It helps you find yourself, what you love, and what you ultimately want to express to the world. The full Moon in Leo is the time to find what makes you shine and embrace that part of yourself despite fear of rejection. The full Moon in Leo teaches you to love yourself fiercely and let that love change the world.

This full Moon is the time to listen to the heart and follow its lead, even if we are unsure of the road ahead. It’s a time to feel the guidance of the heart through our emotions and let it give us the answers we’ve been looking for all along.

The full Moon in Leo and the Sun in Aquarius

On the full Moon, we are working with the energies of Leo and Aquarius, where the Sun is positioned. Leo and Aquarius oppose each other in the sky and differ energetically in many ways. But they also have many similarities. This full Moon is an opportunity to find their common ground and harness their combined energy to help you create the breakthroughs needed to step into your heart and your highest self.

Aquarius season teaches us that we are energy and have an energetic field with a corresponding frequency. Leo reminds us that the heart emits an electromagnetic frequency greater than any other part of us. The heart’s energetic field extends far past our bodies and influences others around us through its frequency. This full Moon reminds us to tend to it and ensure that it is sending out the vibrations that accurately represent who we are at our cores.

Part of tending to the heart is listening to it. Following it, though, can make us feel vulnerable. The heart does not come with organized spreadsheets that tell us the exact trajectory of our decisions. The heart is messy, complicated, and may feel illogical at times. It contains all of our feelings, including our pain, regret, and fear.

It also holds our joy, love, compassion, and gratitude. To feel and amplify the positive vibrations of the heart, we must also be willing to feel and understand everything else the heart holds. We cannot open our hearts and feel only the good things. We have to stand in the presence of all of it, which can make us feel scared, vulnerable, and even ashamed.

Leo is the sign of kings and queens. It reminds us that each of us has the potential to lead others through the full expression of ourselves. We must, though, be willing to be seen. Kings and queens are generally the center of attention in any room. They feel confident enough to take up that space. From this platform they can lead and share their energy.

Leo teaches us to show up for ourselves with courage and strength. It reminds us that we can face anything within ourselves with love and compassion. It also teaches us that the pathway to leading from the heart starts by understanding its full depths.

Leo reminds us that we all are unique in our own way. Each of us has a unique set of talents which needs to be honored and shared with those around us. Each of us also has a message that comes from the heart. The full Moon in Leo is a time to find your heart’s message and send it to the world.

Feel into your own willingness to take up the space you deserve this full Moon, and use it to share your heart’s gifts with others. Express your heart and allow its messages to extend far past the confines of your body. Accept and love yourself for who you are this full Moon and let that love allow you to shine your brightest light into the world.

How to navigate the full Moon in Leo

Astrological energies, like emotions, have a lower and a higher vibration. Think of each zodiac sign as a spectrum of frequencies. We align with a particular zodiac frequency at different points of our lives and take on its resulting qualities in mind, body, and spirit.

Leo’s higher frequencies include the qualities of a benevolent leader. Leo aligns us with the vibrations of courage, compassion, empathy, and honor. When we tune in to this high side of Leo, we hear the messages of our hearts without judgment. We listen with only unconditional love. We wholeheartedly love and accept every aspect of ourselves. Furthermore, we express ourselves fully to the world without fear of rejection. In this high state of Leo, we embody the confidence and poise of a great leader who accepts approval but does not depend upon it. We find our highest Self and share that person with the world, unrestricted by the ego.

When working with the vibrations of Leo, we come up against the ego, which is Leo’s shadow. The ego is the part of us that yearns to be defined by something. It is how we identify ourselves, including the conditioned patterns we have formed about who we are in this life. It is also our inner critic, our self-defeating thoughts, and the part of us that feels separated from others.

The ego can get in the way of us finding and expressing our true selves. It attaches to ideas of how we “should” behave in the world and how others “should” receive us. The ego’s fuel is fear, and it can often lead us down dark paths of needing constant validation and approval of what we express to the world. The ego’s role should be to motivate us, remind us of our purpose when needed, and help us function in society. But it should not lead our lives.

On this full Moon, we have the opportunity to recognize when the ego has taken the reins and, in its effort to define our existence, closed the full expression of the heart.

The counterpart to the ego is the higher self. When we align with Leo’s and Aquarius’s highest vibrations, we tap into our highest Selves and the higher consciousness of love. This highest self is the part of us that is connected to the entire energy of the Universe and, therefore, to everyone and everything around us.

When moving from the higher self, there is no need to compare or compete with others because we are all one. Without separation, we do not feel insecurity, lack, or unworthiness. When we operate from the higher self, we are always connected to the our message. We do not need to distract ourselves from our feelings, for we understand that the true nature of ourselves is pure love and beauty. From this place, we feel fulfilled in our lives and are confident in everything we do because we are constantly moving from the heart. We no longer worry about rejection or approval from others. We feel confident in who we are.

To remain centered within the higher self, we need to be deeply aware of when the ego takes over, then redirect our energy toward higher vibrations of compassion, love, and connection. Aligning with the higher self allows us to honor our true essence—the heart—and give its message freely to the collective without needing approval.

As we work with this full Moon’s energy, we have the opportunity to connect with our higher selves. This opportunity is the true merger of Leo, Aquarius, and their corresponding frequencies. Throughout this full Moon, ask yourself how you might be aligned with the lower vibration of each sign. When we align with Leo’s shadow side, we become demanding, need approval, and feel insecure. We seek external validation instead of feeling our power. We can even cause drama in our lives and the lives of others to gain the attention we need to feel secure within ourselves.

This lower vibration of Leo disconnects us from our hearts. Instead, it aligns us with the delusions of the ego. We latch onto our identities and forget that we are beings made of pure love, capable of deep compassion and unlimited joy. Spend some time this full Moon thinking about where you may be aligning with these vibrations of Leo. Resist the urge to judge yourself. Judgment can drop you into an even lower vibration. Instead, accept these parts of yourself and welcome them to your conscious awareness. When you become aware of your shadow sides, you immediately form control over them, and they stop controlling you.

When we embody Aquarius’s lower vibrations, we become overly judgmental and critical of others, especially those in authority positions. Instead of helping change what we do not like in the world, we complain and detach from the world. We disconnect from the vibration of love and acceptance and become aloof. We withhold our energy while acting superior to everyone around us.

Notice if there are any places in your life where you may be aligning with these lower vibrations and, again without judgment, accept them. Accepting them will help you acknowledge the behavior. Through this awareness, you will shift it and find Aquarius’s higher vibrations.

When we step into the highest frequencies of Aquarius, we can feel the infinite connection between the Universe and us. We understand that we are just one part of a bigger collective. We want to contribute our energy to making the world a better place by connecting with the vibration of love and acceptance.

When we shift away from the lower vibrations of both Leo and Aquarius, we make space for the higher ones. We have the opportunity with this pair to vibrate to a higher level than ever before. These two energies allow us to feel the heart’s messages and honor them while honoring the collective. We learn to express ourselves from a place of love and gratitude instead of a place of judgment or neediness. We embody the true Age of Aquarius, in which everyone contributes their unique talents while working together for the good of everyone on the planet.

Take the time to feel what your heart wants to give to the world and courageously create a life that embodies its message.

Other astrological influences on this full Moon

This full Moon brings us the fast-moving energy of the Universe. All planets are currently stationed direct, meaning no retrogrades until April. This period of time each year can feel like a whirlwind of excitement and possibility. It can also feel overwhelming and chaotic.

As you work with the energy of this full Moon, ground yourself and know that things may be happening more quickly than you could imagine. Notice if an abundance of opportunities have come your way and consciously focus on your resounding yeses. It can be easy to overextend yourself at this time or overcommit. Make sure you are only saying yes to things you can follow through with over the next six months. Say yes only to things that align with your heart. Then be confident enough to express your nos.

We have a few other aspects of this full Moon affecting the energy of the day. The Sun and Moon square Uranus in Taurus. Squares add friction and tension to our energy. Uranus is the planet of change. It brings major breakthroughs to our world and helps move us out of our comfort zones. Uranus shakes things up, and this upheaval can initially feel shocking. It’s important to recognize that sometimes things need to fall apart so they can be put back together again.

With Uranus squaring this full Moon, it’s an opportunity to break through attachments of the ego. Spend some time thinking about all the ways you identify yourself. How do you want to be seen by the world? What do you want to be known for?

Then ask yourself where these definitions are coming from. Are they coming from your heart and your truth? Do they represent who you are at your core? Or are they coming from a place of insecurity and a need for validation?

We can become overly attached to an image of ourselves or something we’ve been told we should be. We don’t make decisions in alignment with our authentic truth. Instead, we make decisions in accordance with who we think we should be or who someone else thinks we should be. We may even feel we need to be a certain way to receive love and acceptance. This need affects our behavior and takes us away from our essence.

Over this full Moon, feel your truth. Notice if you are doing anything, including actions or thoughts, that is not in alignment with your truth. Step outside yourself and observe how you are showing up in the world. Be honest with yourself and notice if you are acting out of alignment with who you really are. We all feel a need to belong to a community. We want to fit in and be liked and accepted by others. This deep need can cause us to act out of alignment with our hearts. We may want to be seen in a certain light, so we do things that help support this identity.

With the help of Uranus this full Moon, break free of any behaviors that you may be doing to gain acceptance and a sense of belonging. Instead, commit to showing up as yourself and know that the people who are your real community will also show up. You will attract the right people, situations, even jobs when you show up as yourself. Dissolve the attachments of the ego. Instead of wanting to be seen or defined a certain way, let yourself be who you’ve always wanted to be.

Mars and Chiron are also involved in this full Moon. The Moon trines (sits 120 degrees apart) Chiron in Aries and sextiles (sits 60 degrees apart) Mars in Gemini. Both trines and sextiles are beneficial energies and add the energy of these cosmic bodies to the vibrations of the full Moon.

Chiron is the wounded healer of the zodiac. This comet helps us understand our past wounds and how they affect us today. It also teaches us that our wounds can become a place of power when we can accept, love, and integrate them. We may never be able to change the past, but we can shift how it affects our present reality.

As we work with Chiron’s energy, notice how old wounds are affecting how you show up today. Acknowledge any painful experiences that are still controlling your ability to be yourself. Perhaps you felt shame or rejection in the past for expressing your authentic truth. Or maybe you were embarrassed in some way for simply being you. You may have even been told there was something wrong with you or that you didn’t fit in due to certain behaviors. Give these points of pain your love and acceptance.

Also, be aware if these experiences have wounded your inner child. Leo represents children and affords some inner child work this full Moon. Give your inner child the love and acceptance they needed in the past. Hold space for their feelings and stand in their struggle, even if no one could stand with them before. Ask your inner child if they have any unmet needs and, on this full Moon, meet them.

Mars’s energy on this full Moon brings us fire and will. It takes a lot of courage to be yourself in all situations. We are conditioned by society to fit in, and that can sometimes mean sacrificing our truth. Anytime we do not honor our authentic vibration, it feels like a betrayal of our energy. This can cause wounds and dampen our willpower. The more we mold ourselves into someone who fits the status quo but does not fit our hearts, our energy contracts.

Your invitation

Over this Full Moon, find some time to sit with yourself and listen to your heart. Feel what you’ve avoided or shut down in your heart. Ask your heart what it wants to tell you and be open to learning from it. Breathe into your heart and listen to it without the mind and its thoughts interfering.

Feel where you have been sacrificing your brilliance to feel accepted. Align with the fire of Leo to burn away any of these habits and allow yourself to shine fully. Love yourself through any fear and take back your power. Bravely and boldly be yourself—even if you don’t fit in with others. Being yourself will always attract the people, energy, and support you need to live aligned with your soul.

There is always a bit of inner-child work available to us on the Leo full Moon. Leo is associated with the energy of play and children. It brings out our wounds around love, approval, and courage created in childhood. Notice if your inner child associates love with approval from others. Do you feel you need to do something to earn love? Do you feel you deserve love simply for being yourself?

Align with Leo to play with some of these concepts and hold space for your inner child to reveal themselves. Reflect on how you were taught to love and be loved. Whether you received unconditional love or not as a child, you can give it to yourself now. The full Moon in Leo is the perfect time to begin developing love for yourself without conditions. It begins by loving yourself for being you. You do not need to do anything, accomplish anything, or create anything to be loved.

Feel into this energy of love throughout the full Moon. Write yourself a love letter and remind yourself of your inherent beauty and perfection. Align with Leo to know you are worthy of love, always, and allow this love to bring out your true essence.

Learn more about the full Moon, including additional astrological insights and journaling prompts, in the Leo Full Moon Workbook, from which the above is excerpted.

About our contributor

Jill Wintersteen is the founder of Spirit Daughter, a lifestyle brand devoted to helping you live your best life through understanding the energy of the Universe. She also writes workbooks on each full Moon as well as other astrological events. Follow her on Instagram @spiritdaughter.